The extraordinary migratory journey of turtle doves from Europe to Africa and back exposes them to multiple welfare challenges at key stopover sites and along their route.
Turtle doves undertake an extraordinary migration that creates multiple points of vulnerability. The Sahel staging area in West Africa provides critical food resources for birds building pre-migration fat stores. Droughts linked to climate change have reduced seed availability, meaning birds depart in poor body condition and face higher mortality crossing the Mediterranean. Legal hunting in Malta, Cyprus, and other Mediterranean countries kills hundreds of thousands of birds during migration. Birds exhausted from crossing the sea are particularly vulnerable to hunting. Habitat loss on breeding grounds in Europe and wintering grounds in Africa adds pressure at both ends of the journey. The RSPB Operation Turtle Dove project combines farming, habitat management, and international advocacy.